Target: Russell Nelson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Goal: Stop the production of cattle in order to decrease greenhouse gasses resulting from livestock and to protect cattle.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lists agriculture as one of the top five producers of greenhouse gasses in the United States. Within agriculture, the organization specifies livestock as the top emitter of these climate changing elements. This statistic, although daunting, is easy to believe as many other sources report another staggering fact: almost half of the land in the country is used for livestock production.
Deseret Ranches is a 300,000 acre for-profit compound in Florida owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The company’s website claims it uses 1,000 acres for farming, 1,600 acres of citrus tress, but does not share land use for their cattle. They do say, however, that their cattle collection consists of 42,500 cows which produce an additional 36,000 calves each year, making them the lead producer of cattle in the U.S. That’s a daunting number of cows that go on to contribute to the critical bipartisan issue of climate change.
The cattle themselves are not the only ones emitting these gasses throughout their lifespan; their food also takes a toll on the environment during it’s production. Deseret Ranches is vague about the feeding practices of their cattle, but the website “Sustainable Dish” informs that cattle generally have a weight ratio of 3:1 for grain to beef. That’s three times as many pounds of grain that need to be produced to grow a cow; growing grains also produces additional greenhouse gas. Cattle production just isn’t efficient. Deseret Ranches needs to allocate more of their land to farming that has a more minimized affect on the environment.
Sign the below petition to encourage Deseret Ranches to redistribute their land for an environmentally friendlier and non-inhumane purpose.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear President Nelson,
There is no doubt your organization has had to shift to accommodate climate change. You have undoubtedly needed to spend more to bolster resources to keep your farms running with months now being warmer and also warmer longer. The EPA has been very clear that livestock are a significant producer of greenhouse gasses which contributes to problems that affect everyone, including you. Not only that, but the cattle on ranches often suffer sad and short lives.
Reducing your cattle production is a surefire way to reduce greenhouse gas production and work towards solving a bipartisan issue that is only getting worse and thus creating more issues year after year. On your website, you mention all your cattle have the opportunity for grazing. Of your 300,000 acres, how many are held for cows? “Farming Base,” a livestock farming website, recommends 1.5-3 acres per cow-calf pair. With the number of cows you own, in addition to calves born each year, that is a lot of land.
Make the decision for allocating more land to citrus or other agriculture ventures. Moving your focus away from livestock will positively affect your carbon footprint by reducing methane from cattle as well as free up more land to expand other areas of your business. And best of all, it will also reduce the suffering of innocent animals.
People in the U.S. and around the world urge you to stop your livestock production.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Florida Crackle Cattle Association
DO NOT REDUCE, eliminate so cows are not murdered. Send the cows to a sanctuary and go vegan.
True! Let us wake up.
I absolutely agree.
(And for the people who individually consider themself a “reducetarian”, which everyone is at some point – I never liked eggs or most “meat” before I was vegan, my “reducetarianism” was 100% meaningless – that’s just a self-serving description for omnivorism, it’s not helpful for the animals who still suffer.)
Vegan for the animals.
this is awful
So agree with all said here and a good place to start to get precedents for the future but let’s include all ranchers who are not feeding the animals properly. Not eating them is preferable.
Just a note before signing: I still eat dairy in the form of Parmesan or Asiago on spaghetti, along with some occasional other exceptions. But I don’t eat nearly as much dairy as I used to, and have given up beef entirely.
Hey, no judgment here !
As long as you don’t eat a cat or a dog we are good ! (Or a baby cow ‘veal’ or a baby sheep ‘lamb’ or a adorable tea cup piggie (see, I really do care), or a duck awww cute ‘lil baby duckling and the ittie bittie chickies …. )
WHO EVER SAID THAT THIS ISN’T A “JUDGMENT FREE” ZONE, Right ?? !
Why are animals made to suffer in their short lives and then BLAMED FOR IT!???
Reduce your cattle production to ZERO and turn your farm into agriculture endeavours 100%.
..and don’t eat any meat/fish ever!
As long as religion justifies the killing other animals to devour them, “God” is highly suspect … or at least the godliness of those who eat animals. In the name of God and godliness, stop eating other animals and many problems will go away.
I agree, if people need “religion” to validate suffering and violence, then that “religion” is created by humans to “sanctify” humans using violence and causing suffering and death. Religion, in this case, is basically just confirmation bias.
GO VEGAN!
Everything else is wishful thinking, hypocrisy and lies!
Cows shall not be victims, send them to an accredited sanctuary.
STOP ALL ANIMAL CRUELTY AGAINST ALL ANIMALS IMMEDIATELY!!!!! SEND ALL THESE COWS TO ANIMAL SANCTUARIES PRONTO!!! DO NOT EVER ALLOW ANY ORGANIZATIONS ESPECIALLY the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints to own any more cattle, horses, etc!!!!!!
Russell Nelson, President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Stop the production of cattle in order to decrease greenhouse gasses resulting from livestock and to protect cattle.
My main complaint about all these cows is that horses are removed from land that is rightfully theirs in favor of cows. Horses do not defecate in rivers and streams polluting the waterways like cows and they also do not ruin the land. Cows only get to spend a short time on this earth and they should be treated humanely. Stop allowing cows to continually reproduce and phase out cattle ranching!
Agree, keep wild horses wild. The BLM is a cruel, vile organisation. The impact of horses on the environment is minimal compared to cattle.
when cows are sent to feed lots they are fed items that are not natural for them (SOY, CORN) and that is covered with the rendering of animals that died before slaughter including their
feces (yum yum). They displace wild life of all kinds, including
horses for whatever forage is available.
Write to Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland, a Native American -the first of her kind to be a cabinet member. I am hoping she will do something about this issue and the AKC &
puppy mills.
Deb Haaland has done absolutely nothing for the wild horses or wildlife so far – she is a disgrace to her heritage.
Stop buying milk from local dairy, where they milk cows and leave them at n roads. Cows feed themselves with garbage and often hit by vehicles. Not good where cows are worshipped as mother cow.
Yes that’s right Maria!! Good idea, a smart & healthy & decent idea!!
Agree all comments
I also agree!
Religion IS supposed to have Love & Compassion for All God’s Beautiful Creatures…. Oh,,,,, not where there’s millions $$$$ to be made from their suffering, abuse & torturous deaths.
RIP All Animals xxxooo
By Going VEGAN we all will be doing the world a favor — especially our Animals — Cattle are treated horribly on every level — Cows live miserable, painful lives — GO VEGAN — Incentivize CROPS — NOT Cattle — REDUCE heat-trapping METHANE — GO VEGAN